Lens-grinding machinery



Dec. 3, 1924. 1,520,631

- G. s. DEY ET AL I LENS GRINDING MACHINERY Filed Dec. 9, 1919 6 I 1.3 w a w /0 3 2 8 2 I, a L9 I7 2 la 5/ llI +111 II: 25 27/ Q7 Fl [3 I INVENTOR GILBERT s. DEY

FIG-III FIE-III RR .HILL BY HAY YW WW ATTORNEYS GILBERT S.

SIGNOBS T0 VGLUNEELJ? ca rier-in co 1 ion on DEY AND iii. HILL, O35 SOUTZ-IBBIDGE, liIASSACHUSETTS, AS-

. Y, SGUTHBRIDGE, IVKASSACHUSETTS, A

5 Gel USETTS.

LENS-GRINDING Ill 'lGHINEh Y.

Application filed December 9, 1919.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GILBERT S. DEY and HARRY WY HILL, citizens of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of l i orcester anc State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Lens-Grinding Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lens grinding machines and has particular reference to an improved form of machine adapted for use in the automatic production of cylindrical, 'toric, and other forms of lenses in which relative rotation the lens and grinding tool mustbe prevented.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved construction of durable machine which shall operate automatically to produce either spherical, cylind ical, or toric lenses, but which will be particularly etlective in producing the two latter forms of lenses in that it is provided with means for preventing relative rotation of the lens and the grinding tool.

A. further object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of this charcter which shall no away with all projecting arms, interlocking connections, and the like for holding the lens and tool with the cylindrical axis in alinement and which will thus greatly facilitate the feeding of the abrasive fluid to the parts as well as render access to an examination of the lens during the grinding operation much simplified.

it is a further object of the present invention in the accomplishment of the result aforesaid to do away with all simultaneous speed drives of the two opposed members during the grinding operation or the like, and to accomplish the grinding operation by relative circular and transverse movements applied to the lens and lap without the use of the inconvenient mechanism hitherto employed for this purpose, and at the same time to insure positive holding of the parts with their cylinder axes at all times parallel.

Other objects and advantages of our invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it may be understood that we may erial No. 343,494.

make any modifications in the specific details oi construction shown and described within the scope or the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of our invention.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of our complete machine.

Figure ll represents a sectional view as on the line 22 of Figure I, and

Figure Jill represents a sectional View as on the line 83 of Figure l.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main frame of our machine, having the bench portion 2 and the upstanding supports 3 bearing the guide or track &. Mounted on the track 4 is the slide 5 having pivoted thereto the link 6 connected with the eccentric strap 7 extended around the cam or eccentric 8 on the shaft 9 whereby rotation of the shaft 9 (which also acts as a pivot for the guide or track l) through the link 6 serves to move the slide 5 back and forth on the track 4:. This slide 5 has secured thereto the rod or lens block engaging member 9* provided with the ball 10 fitting into the socket of the lens block 11 and having the late-rally extended pins or arm portions 12 fitting into slots 13 in the block to allow of rocking movement of the block on the hall 1.0 but preventing relative rotation of the lens block and its spindle.

Journaled within the table portion 2 of the machine is the tubular shat't let having the eccentric bore 15 in which is journaled the second lens spindle 16 provided at its upper end with the cap portion 17 resting upon the shaft let. The friction bearings 18 are preferably interposed between the parts. This spindle terminates at its upper end in the cone or upper portion 19 adapted to fit into the socketed collar 20 of the lens grinding tool or lap 21 which may be of any desired commercial form, the member 15) being suitably constructed to receive the particular intended form of grinding tool.

in the present drawings we have illustrated the standard American Optical Company tool as so employed, this tool having the slot 22 to receive the pin 23 carried by the member 19 which thus holds the lens grinding tool and spindle 16 against possible relative rotation. The spindle 16 is provided at its lower end with a squared portion 24 fitting in the squared socket of the slide block which has a front and rear sliding movement on the guideway 26 forming a part of the second slide block 27 which has a transverse movement on the slideway 28. It will thus be seen that the lower end of the spindle is held against any possible rotative movement but capable of sliding in universal directions. This is exactly the movement that is intended to be supplied to the spindle; that is to say, the shaft 14 is rotated through power being applied to the pulley 29 when the pinclutch 3O operatively connects it with the shaft 14, a suitable clutch lever 31 serving to shift the pulley into inoperative position as desired.

When, however, the shaft 1 1 is rotating,

' on account of the eccentric location of the bore 15 the spindle 16 will be carried around in circles as an ordinary eccentric. It is, however, prevented from any twisting or rotating movement by the two cross slides at the bottom, having, therefore, what may be properly termed a circular sliding or nonrotating movement which is thus imparted to the tool 21. In this manner the axis of the tool member will at all times remain parallel to the axis of the lens and lens block. Of course, the axis of the toolwill cross the axis of the lens and lens blocks, but will at all times remain parallel thereto. This is accomplished because of the fact that the spindle 16 does not rotate around its own axis by reason of the cross slides and squared end, although the spindle 16 is bodily moved in a complete circle by reason of being mounted in the eccentric bore of the tube 14.

At the same time a transverse sliding movement is applied to the lens block 11 and lens through operation of the shaft 9 and its cam or eccentric 8. In this manner a very satisfactory grinding movement is obtained in that the relative speed of rotation of the shafts 9 and 14 is such as to supply the needed break up to the movements so that the parts never twice consecutively traverse the same portions of each other, and satisfactory and rapid grinding is thus accomplished while the tool and lens are readily accessible and there are no lateral arms, projections, or the like to interfere with free examination of the parts or application of an abrasive thereto.

We claim:

1. In a machine of the character scribed, a pair of slides adapted to slide at right angles to each other, a shaft having one end mounted on the slides, an abrading tool mounted on the shaft, a tubular shaft having an eccentric bore surrounding said first mentioned shaft, and means for rotating the tubular shaft to impart a circular motion to the tool through the inner shaft, and means to prevent rotation of said inner shaft around its own axis.

2. In 'a machine of the character described, a pair of slides adapted to slide at right angles to each other, a shaft mounted on the slides, an abrading tool mounted on the shaft, a rotating shaft having an eocentric bore surrounding said first mentioned shaft, means for rotating the tubular shaft to impart an orbital movement to the tool through the inner shaft, means to prevent rotation of said inner shaft around its own axis, and means to reciprocate a lens across the abrading tool, the construction, arrangement, and operation of the first shaft relative to the path of reciprocation of the lens being such as to maintain the highest point of the lap in an orbital path relative to the center of the tubular shaft.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of slides adapted to slide at right angles to each other, a shaft mounted on one of the slides, an abrading tool mounted on the shaft, a tubular shaft having an eccentric bore surrounding said first mentioned shaft, means for rotating the tubular shaft to impart an orbital movement to said and means to reciprocate the lens blockl whereby said ears will prevent relative rotation thereof. I

4. A lens surfacing machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a slide way carried by the frame and disposed near the lower end thereof, a slide block slidably mounted on the slide way and having a guide way formed on its upper face and arranged transversely of the slide way, a second slide block slidably mounted withinv the said slide way andbeing provided with an angular socket, a spindle having a reduced angular end mounted within the socket formed in the second slide block, a tubular shaft having an eccentric bore, the bore being adapted to receive said spindle, a grinding tool carried by the upper end of the spindle and locked against relative movement, means to rotate the tubular shaft whereby a circular sliding but non-rotating movement is; imparted to the spindle, and means to hold a lens in contact with the grinding tool.

A lens surfacing machine of the character described, comprising a frame, a lens block operatively mounted on said frame, a slide way carried by said frame and disposed near the lower end thereof, a slide block slidably mounted on the slide way and having a guide way formed in its upper face, and arranged transversely of the slide way, a second slide block slidably mounted within said slide Way and being provided with an angular socket, a spindle having a reduced angular end mounted Within the socket formed in the second slide block. tubular shaft having an eccentric bore, the bore being adapted to receive said spindle, a surfacing tool or lap operatively carried by the upper end of the spindle and locked against relative movement and which engages With the lens on the lens block, means to rotate the tubular shaft whereby an orbital sliding but non-rotating movement is imparted to the spindle, thereby permitting the highest point of the rise of the lap to pass the path. of movement of the lens block at regular intervals.

6. A lens surfacing machine of the character described comprising a frame, a bench portion carried thereby, a surfacing tool or lap operatively mounted on the bench por tion for orbital movement, upstanding supports mounted on the bench portion, a track mounted transversely of the upstanding supports and carried thereby, a slide mounted on the track, a link pivoted to the slide, a shaft ournaled through the upstanding supports, a cam carried by the shaft and keyed thereto, an eccentric strap connected to the link and extending around the cam, whereby upon rotation of the cam the slide Will be reciprocated, a rod depending from said slide and terminating in a ball portion, transversely extending ears carried by the depending arm and arranged slightly above said ball portion, a lens block to cooperate with the surfacing tool or lap and having centrally disposed socket with radially disposed slots communicating therewith, and adapted to receive said ball portion, and transversely extending ears respectively, whereby said lens block will be permitted to rock but Will be guarded against relative rotation.

7. In a device of the character described, a pair of cross slides mounted to slide at right angles to each other, a shaft nonrotatably ired to one of the slides, a spindle raving an internal bore located eccentrically to its center, said shaft being lo 'ated in said here, means to rotate the spindle to impart a rotary motion to the shaft about the center of the spindle and the sliding motion thereto on the slides, a tool on the shaft, a second tool contacting with the first tool having a transverse slot, a pin in the slot to hold the second tool in place on the first tool and means to reciprocate the pin.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

GILBERT S. IDEY. HARRY "W. HILL /Vitnesses ESTHER ll/l. LAFLER, ALICE G. HASKELL. 

